Hydrangeaceae

Hydrangea Family

American Cliffbush

FAMILY: Hydrangea family (Hydrangeaceae) – Jamesia genus. This genus has formerly been placed in the saxifrage family (Saxifragaceae).

SPECIES: American cliffbush (Jamesia americana Torr. & A. Gray).

TO UTILIZE AS FOOD: Fruits (capsules) of American cliffbush are reported to be edible. Mature capsules are dry, hard, and unsuitable for consumption. Only young capsules are tender, and they soon develop tough reinforcements. When eaten fresh, they taste bland, bitter, and unappealing. No acrid, soapy, resinous, fruity, or perfume-like accents are present, and astringency is minimal. Boiling fails to soften the capsules and produces dull-brown broth. American cliffbush capsules are small. About 70-90 capsules are needed for a single serving. Gathering them is easy if the shrubs are accessible (the shrubs prefer steep, rocky slopes). The capsules are cone-shaped, beaked by persistent styles, and clustered at the branch tips. At best, they’re a wild food of minor importance and unknown safety. Consumption is not recommended.

NOTES: The edibility of American cliffbush fruits was hereby based on Edward Castetter’s statement, “The hard fruits of Jamesia americana, which also ripened in September, contained large seeds and were occasionally eaten fresh.” This statement was from his 1936 work on the Mescalero and Chiricahua Apache Indians. I interpret it to mean that the fruits were eaten fresh, and since the fruits contained seeds, the seeds were presumably eaten. Fruits of American cliffbush are indeed hard, almost as hard as wood when they ripen, so it’s unlikely they were eaten when fully ripe. I gathered the fruits for this book during the last week of August and the second week of September in the Sierra Blanca Mountains of New Mexico, about the same time of the year that Castetter noted they were gathered by Native Americans. Since the mature fruits are essentially wood, I sampled the immature fruits. These fruits and the seeds inside were exceedingly firm, and they became unchewable very early in their development. As for the seeds inside the fruits, it seems unlikely that the Apache Indians would eat these seeds fresh, but it is possible prior to maturity. Regardless of exactly what part was eaten at exactly what stage of development, American cliffbush was only a minor food source, even the quote said “occasionally” eaten.

IDENTIFICATION: Only 2 species of the Jamesia genus are found in the United States, both of which are native to the Southwest and Great Basin. Only fivepetal cliffbush (J. americana) is likely to be encountered in the wild. Fourpetal cliffbush (J. tetrapetala) is a rare species endemic to the Snake Range of eastern Nevada and nearby mountain ranges.

Description of American cliffbush (Jamesia americana): FORM thornless shrub up to 3 meters tall; often with shredding bark; LEAVES simple; opposite; stalked; blades elliptic, lance-ovate, or heart-shaped; margins toothed; surfaces often hairy; FLOWERS regular, perfect, ovary partially inferior, and arranged in dense cymes; sepals 5; petals 5, white or light pink; styles 3-5; stamens 10; filaments flat and without lobes; FRUITS capsules dry and splitting into 3-5 segments; HABITAT canyons and rocky hillsides in oak, juniper, and pine communities; blooming May to October. NOTES: Four varieties are recognized based on minor physical differences.

REFERENCES: American cliffbush (Jamesia americana): fruits Castetter (1936 p. 45); seeds Moerman (p. 131).

Littleleaf Mockorange

FAMILY: Hydrangea family (Hydrangeaceae) – Philadelphus genus. This genus has formerly been placed in the mockorange family (Philadelphaceae) and saxifrage family (Saxifragaceae).

SPECIES: Littleleaf mockorange (Philadelphus microphyllus A. Gray).

TO UTILIZE AS FOOD: The fruits (presumably young fruits) of littleleaf mockorange are reported to be edible, but they taste terribly unappealing. Other parts are inedible. The name refers to the intensely orange-like fragrance of the flowers rather than to any aspects of the fruits. Despite the fruity fragrance, the flowers are terribly acrid and unsuitable for consumption, except possibly as very dilute tea. The fresh or cooked fruits are equally unsuitable for consumption due to an abundance of soap-like compounds called saponins. Fresh young fruits are tough, bitter, and distasteful, except for a hint of fruity essence that hides under the bitter oppression. Boiling fails to improve the flavor or soften the texture. Littleleaf mockorange fruits seem best when prepared as tea. Exactly when the fruits should be gathered is uncertain. Only young fruits were sampled for this reference. Older fruits might taste better, but any improvement in flavor is probably minuscule. Fully mature fruits are dry, woody, and unsuitable for consumption. Crushed leaves can be used as soap. Overall, littleleaf mockorange fruits are a wild food of desperate times.

NOTES: The littleleaf mockorange assessment was based on a lone colony from Baker Canyon in the Tushar Mountains of central Utah. All the references I cited to the edibility of this shrub refer to Edward Castetter’s work (1935-a p. 30) on edible plants of the American Southwest, which states, “Holodiscus dumosus (Nutt.) Heller. Ocean spray. The small fruits of this plant are eaten as food by the Tewa (33); similarly those of Philadelphus microphyllus, mock orange, were formerly used by the Isleta.” These groups of people are native to the region that is now called the state of New Mexico. Accuracy is important, and the best way to preserve accuracy is by quoting the source. This source, which is from 1935, speaks of mock orange in the past tense, saying the fruits “were formerly used” rather than “are used.” So at some point in time, consumption of the fruits was discontinued. Considering the flavor and texture of littleleaf mockorange fruits, it’s certainly no mystery why the Isleta Indians stopped eating them. No other records of usage for this little-known wild food seem to exist. Apparently, only the ancestors of the Isleta Indians ate them, or consumption among other native people was never documented, or I never located such documentation. Based on the fruits I sampled in Baker Canyon, I would concur with the discontinuation of littleleaf mockorange fruits as food.

IDENTIFICATION: About 30-35 species of the Philadelphus genus are found in the United States, of which 7 occur in the Southwest and Great Basin.

Description of littleleaf mockorange (Philadelphus microphyllus): FORM thornless shrub about 1-2 meters tall with shredding bark; LEAVES simple; opposite; short-stalked; blades rounded or lance-ovate, about 5-25 mm long; margins entire; surfaces often hairy; FLOWERS perfect, regular, ovary partially inferior, stalked, and arranged individually or a few in clusters terminating short side branches; sepals 4; petals 4, white, rounded, and without claws; styles usually 4 and partially united; stamens numerous (usually more than 20); filaments not lobed; FRUITS capsules dry, woody, and splitting into 4 segments each about 10 mm long; HABITAT oak, juniper, pine, aspen, and fir communities; blooming May to September.

REFERENCES: Littleleaf mockorange (Philadelphus microphyllus): fruits Castetter (1935-a p. 30), Couplan (p. 200), and Moerman (p. 179).